Communication service method and communication apparatus thereof

ABSTRACT

Each user terminal apparatus is connected with a service business enterprise system by a connection business enterprise system in a state that a live image can mutually be transmitted through the service business enterprise system. An user beforehand sets its live image to be appropriately utilized as an advertisement medium, and chooses selling goods to be advertised. A live image transmitted from the user terminal apparatus of the user who performed the aforesaid setting receives a superposed image, for example, by the superposing the T shirt of the user or the like with the image signal of the selling goods as the advertisement object in the service business enterprise system, and then the processed live image signal is transmitted to the user terminal apparatus of a communication companion. When the communication companion clicks this image signal, the user terminal apparatus of the communication companion is further connected with the sponsor system of the selling goods, and can receive a further explanation of the selling goods and can perform the transactions of the selling goods.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to a communication service methodand a communication service apparatus, they are able to supplyadditional services such as, for example, an advertisementpropagandizing service of selling goods, an electronic commerce serviceand the like, in a private communication environment between specificusers in a communication network capable of transmitting arbitrary dataincluding moving images. The present invention further relates to acommunication terminal apparatus and a communication system, bothcapable of receiving such services.

[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0004] Owing to the progress of various data processing technologiesincluding communication technologies, coding technologies and the like,a portable terminal apparatus capable of processing a great deal of datasuch as data of a moving image.

[0005] Conventionally, for example, a Japanese Laid-Open PatentPublication No. Hei 10-164137 discloses an information processingapparatus that supplies a previously prepared other piece ofinformation, for example advertisement information, in addition to apiece of information that an user requested when the apparatus picks upthe information in an information network. Moreover, the above mentionedPatent Publication also discloses that the information to be added isimage information, audio information or text information. However,although the Patent Publication discloses exchange process ofinformation between an user terminal and a server, the PatentPublication does not disclose a technique for adding a previouslyprepared other piece of information into an updated piece of informationin the exchange process of information between user terminals.

[0006] Then, if the use of a communication network in a broader band,which is expected in the near future, it is considerable that acommunication terminal capable of processing a great deal of data suchas data of a real time moving image (hereinafter, it is sometimes calledas a live image or moving image) comes into wide use actually.

[0007] Moreover, as one of the such communication terminals to becomepopular widely, a communication terminal in a visual telephone (TVtelephone) form that has conventionally been made to be fit forpractical use in conformity with various systems, namely a portablecommunication terminal apparatus capable of mutually transmitting liveimage is considerable.

[0008] By the way, almost all the communication terminal apparatus insuch a visual telephone-type have been placed at a position of anapparatus only for private communication because only the transmissionof live image between terminal apparatus to be aimed at.

[0009] Then, as a result, there has not been examined the connectionbetween the communication terminal apparatus and the environment of theso-called electronic commerce such as the introduction and theadvertisement of selling goods and moreover the actual dealings that arewidely used in communication networks.

[0010] However, it is apparent that such a visual telephone-typecommunication terminal apparatus capable of transmitting moving image atreal time is effective as a system related to such electronic commerce,and more effective services and systems using such communicationterminal apparatus have been desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide acommunication service method and an apparatus therefore that can supplyan advertisement propagandizing service of selling goods and anelectronic commerce environment in a private communication environmentamong specific users.

[0012] Moreover, another object of the present invention is to provide acommunication terminal apparatus capable of receiving an advertisementpropagandizing service of selling goods and an electronic commerceenvironment while performing private communication with a specific user.

[0013] Moreover, a further object of the present invention is to providea communication system capable of performing an advertisementpropagandizing service of selling goods and capable of being connectedwith electronic commerce while being in a private communicationenvironment with a specific user.

[0014] Moreover, a further object of the present invention is to providean advertisement propagandizing method capable of performing anadvertisement propagandizing service of selling goods in a privatecommunication environment among specific users.

[0015] For resolving the aforesaid problems, a communication servicemethod according to the present invention connects a plurality ofcommunication terminal apparatus in a state possible to transmit anaudio and an image signals, and superposes an image signal concerningarbitrary selling goods to an image signal transmitted from an arbitraryone of the communication terminal apparatus, and delivers the imagesignal superposed with the image signal of the arbitrary selling goodsto the communication terminal apparatus.

[0016] Preferably, the image signal of selling goods is selected by anuser of the communication terminal apparatus that originates the imagesignal to be superposed with the image signal of the selling goods.

[0017] Moreover, preferably, the image signal originated from thearbitrary communication terminal apparatus is an image signal includingan image of the user of the communication terminal apparatus.

[0018] Moreover, preferably, the image signal transmitted among theplural communication terminal apparatus is an image signal including areal time moving image.

[0019] Moreover, preferably, in response to a demand from thecommunication terminal apparatus, to which the image signal isdelivered, more detailed information of the selling goods is supplied tothe communication terminal apparatus.

[0020] Moreover, preferably, an environment for performing transactionsof the selling goods is supplied to the communication terminal apparatusto which the more detailed information of the selling goods is supplied.

[0021] Moreover, preferably, the image signal of the selling goods issuperposed with the image signal originated from the communicationterminal apparatus so that the image signal of the selling goods hassubstantially significant relation with an object included in the imagesignal originated from the communication terminal apparatus.

[0022] Moreover, preferably, the image signal of the selling goods issuperposed with the image signal originated from the communicationterminal apparatus so that an image in which the user of thecommunication terminal apparatus puts on the selling goods, uses theselling goods or holds the selling goods is generated.

[0023] Preferably, a consideration is paid to the user of thecommunication terminal apparatus to which the image signal of theselling goods is delivered in a state of being superposed with theoriginated image signal on a basis of a prescribed condition concerningthe delivery of the image signal of the selling goods.

[0024] Specifically, the amount of the consideration is determined basedon a number of times of the delivery of the superposed image signal ofthe selling goods, a period of time of the delivery, or a prescribedstate to prescribed processing concerning the selling goods performed bythe user of the communication terminal apparatus of a destination of thedelivery.

[0025] Moreover, specifically, the consideration is paid by money, bycountervailing of the consideration with a utility rate of thecommunication service, or by countervailing of the consideration withmoney to be paid at a time of prescribed selling goods transactions.

[0026] Specifically, the selling goods the image signal of which issuperposed are further selected according to the user of thecommunication terminal apparatus to which the superposed image signal isdelivered.

[0027] Preferably, the selling goods the image of which is superposedare changed in sequence at every series of the connection, at everyprescribed period of time, in response to a demand from thecommunication terminal apparatus that originated the image to besuperposed, or in response to a demand from the communication terminalapparatus that is a destination of the superposed image.

[0028] Moreover, a communication service apparatus according to thepresent invention comprises: connecting means for connecting a pluralityof communication terminal apparatus in a state possible to transmit aaudio and an image signals; receiving means for receiving the imagesignal originated from the connected communication terminal apparatus;image signal superposing means for superposing an image signalconcerning arbitrary selling goods to the received image signal; andtransmitting means for transmitting the superposed image signal toanother of the connected communication terminal apparatus.

[0029] Preferably, the apparatus further comprises first recording meansfor recording the selling goods selected beforehand by each userconcerning the communication terminal apparatus, the selling goods beingsuperposed with the image signal originated from the communicationterminal apparatus concerning the user, wherein the image signalsuperposing means selects the selling goods based on contents recordedin the first recording means, and superposes an image signal of theselected selling goods.

[0030] Moreover, preferably, the apparatus further comprises secondrecording means for recording information concerning the selling goodsto be advertised, the information including image data of the sellinggoods, wherein the image signal superposing means selects the sellinggoods among various selling goods recorded in the second recordingmeans, and performs superposition of the image signal by using therecorded image data of the selling goods.

[0031] Preferably, the connecting means connects the pluralcommunication terminal apparatus in a state possible to transmit a realtime moving image signal among the communication terminal apparatus.

[0032] Preferably, the image signal originated from the communicationterminal apparatus includes an image of an user of the communicationterminal apparatus, and the image signal superposing means superposesthe image signal of the selling goods with the image signal originatedfrom the communication terminal apparatus so that the image in which theuser of the communication terminal apparatus puts on the selling goods,uses the selling goods or holds the selling goods is generated.

[0033] Moreover, preferably, the image signal superposing means changesthe selling goods in sequence at every series of the connection, atevery prescribed period of time, in response to a demand from thecommunication terminal apparatus that originated the image signal, or inresponse to a demand from the communication terminal apparatus that is adestination of the superposed image signal.

[0034] Moreover, preferably, the communication service apparatus furthercomprises: third recording means for recording prescribed dataconcerning actual results of superposition of image data of the sellinggoods with image data originated from the communication terminalapparatus at every user concerning the communication terminal apparatus;and adjusting means for paying a consideration to each user on a basisof contents recorded in the third recording means.

[0035] Moreover, preferably, the communication service apparatus furthercomprises fourth means for recording a hobby and a preference of theuser of the communication terminal apparatus that is connected by theconnecting means and receives delivery of the superposed image signal,wherein the image signal superposing means selects the selling goodsfurther on a basis of contents recorded in the fourth recording means,and superposes the image signal of the selected selling goods.

[0036] Moreover, the transmitting means further transmits information ofa destination of connection of a system supplying more detailedinformation of the selling goods or an environment for performingtransactions of the selling goods to the communication terminalapparatus that transmitted the superposed image signal.

[0037] Moreover, a communication terminal apparatus according to thepresent invention is connected with another communication terminalapparatus mutually through a communication service apparatus, thecommunication terminal apparatus performing mutual telephone callingwith the other communication terminal apparatus, the communicationterminal apparatus comprises: telephone calling means for performingtelephone calling with the connected other communication terminalapparatus; receiving means for receiving image data of a superposedimage of an image signal originated from the other communicationterminal apparatus and an image signal concerning arbitrary sellinggoods and a prescribed control data, the image data and the control databeing transmitted from the communication service apparatus; displayingmeans for displaying the received image data; position designating meansfor designating an arbitrary position on the displayed image data; andcontrolling means for performing prescribed processing on a basis of thereceived control data when the designated position is a part of thesuperposed image of the image data.

[0038] Specifically, the controlling means demands more information ofthe selling goods concerning the superposed image signal or anenvironment concerning transactions of the selling goods to thecommunication service apparatus when the part of the superposed image isdesignated.

[0039] Moreover, specifically, the controlling means demands moreinformation of the selling goods or an environment concerningtransactions of the selling goods to the other communication serviceapparatus concerning the superposed image when the part of thesuperposed image is designated.

[0040] Preferably, the receiving means receives information of areplying result to the demand transmitted from the other communicationservice apparatus concerning the selling goods, and the displaying meansdisplays the information of the received replying result.

[0041] Moreover, preferably, processing concerning the information fromthe other communication service apparatus in the receiving means and thedisplaying means and processing concerning the other communicationterminal apparatus connected through the communication service apparatusare performed at a substantially same time.

[0042] Moreover, a communication system according to the presentinvention includes a plurality of communication terminal apparatus and acommunication service apparatus for connecting the plural communicationterminal apparatus possible to transmit an audio and an image signals,wherein the communication service apparatus comprises: receiving meansfor receiving an image signal originated from one of the connectedcommunication terminal apparatus; image signal superposing means forsuperposing an image signal concerning arbitrary selling goods with thereceived image signal; and transmitting means for transmitting thesuperposed image signal to another of the connected communicationterminal apparatus, and the communication terminal apparatus comprises:receiving means for receiving image data originated by another of thecommunication terminal apparatus and transmitted from the communicationservice apparatus; and displaying means for displaying the receivedimage data.

[0043] Moreover, an advertisement propagandizing method according to thepresent invention, in a communication environment in which a pluralityof communication terminal apparatus are connected in a state that anaudio and an image signals can be transmitted, the advertisementpropagandizing method selects selling goods of a desired advertisementpropaganda object by an user of the communication terminal apparatus,and superposes an image signal of the selected selling goods of theadvertisement propaganda object with an image signal originated by thecommunication terminal apparatus concerning the user, and delivers theimage signal in which the image signal of the selling goods issuperposed to another communication terminal apparatus.

[0044] Moreover, the image signal originated from the communicationterminal apparatus includes an image signal of the user of thecommunication terminal apparatus.

[0045] Moreover, the image signal of the selling goods is superposedwith the image signal originated from the communication terminalapparatus so that an image in which the user of the communicationterminal apparatus puts on the selling goods, uses the selling goods orholds the selling goods is generated.

[0046] Moreover, more detailed information of the selling goods or atransaction environment of the selling goods is supplied to thecommunication terminal apparatus to which the image signal is deliveredin response to a demand from the communication terminal apparatus.

[0047] Moreover, a consideration is paid to the user of thecommunication terminal apparatus, to which the superposed image signalof the originated image signal and the image signal of the selling goodsare delivered, on a basis of a prescribed condition concerning thedelivery of the image signal of the selling goods.

[0048] Moreover, the selling goods the image signal of which issuperposed are further selected according to the user of thecommunication terminal apparatus to which the superposed image signal isdelivered.

[0049] According to the present invention, there can be provided acommunication system, a communication service method and the apparatusthereof that are possible to provide an advertisement propagandizingservice of selling goods and an electronic commerce environment in aprivate communication environment between specific users.

[0050] Moreover, there can be provided a communication terminalapparatus that can receive an advertisement propaganda service ofselling goods and an electronic commerce environment while performing aprivate communication with a specific user.

[0051] Moreover, there can be provided an advertisement propagandizingmethod that can perform an advertisement propaganda service of sellinggoods in a private communication environment among specific users.

[0052] Moreover, there can be provided an information processingapparatus that superposes the advertisement propaganda information ofdesired selling goods with transmission data.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0053] The above and other objects, features and advantages of thepresent invention will become more apparent from the followingdescription of the presently preferred exemplary embodiments of theinvention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0054]FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of acommunication system of an embodiment of the present invention;

[0055]FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an userterminal apparatus of the communication system shown in FIG. 1;

[0056]FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a servicebusiness enterprise system of the communication system shown in FIG. 1;

[0057]FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a part inthe advertisement information adding section of the service businessenterprise system shown in FIG. 3 for processing the addition ofadvertisement image data to image data;

[0058]FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the imagesignal superposing area extracting section in the advertisementinformation adding section shown in FIG. 4;

[0059]FIG. 6 is a figure for illustrating the operations of thecommunication system shown in FIG. 1;

[0060]FIG. 7 is a figure showing a live image signal to be transmittedto a service business enterprise system from an user terminal apparatuson the transmission side in the communication system shown in FIG. 1;

[0061]FIG. 8 is a figure showing an image signal, in which image signalof selling goods is superposed, to be transmitted to the user terminalapparatus on the transmission side from the service business enterprisesystem in the communication system shown in FIG. 1;

[0062]FIG. 9 is a first figure showing another form to superpose animage signal of selling goods in the service business enterprise systemshown in FIG. 1;

[0063]FIG. 10 is a second figure showing a further form to superpose animage signal of selling goods in the service business enterprise systemshown in FIG. 1;

[0064]FIG. 11 is a third figure showing a further form to superpose animage signal of selling goods in the service business enterprise systemshown in FIG. 1;

[0065]FIG. 12 is a fourth figure showing a further form to superpose animage signal of selling goods in the service business enterprise systemshown in FIG. 1;

[0066]FIG. 13 is a fifth figure showing a further form to superpose animage signal of selling goods in the service business enterprise systemshown in FIG. 1;

[0067] FIGS. 14A-14D are figures showing the displayed states ofintroduction screens of selling goods on the display of the userterminal apparatus shown in FIG. 2;

[0068]FIG. 15 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the partfor processing the addition of advertisement data to audio data in theadvertisement information adding section of the service businessenterprise system shown in FIG. 3;

[0069]FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing an example of anotherconfiguration of the service business enterprise system shown in FIG. 3;and

[0070]FIG. 17 is a block diagram showing an example of anotherconfiguration of the communication system shown in FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0071] An embodiment of the present invention is described by referenceto attached drawings.

[0072] In the present embodiment, the present invention is described bythe illustration of a communication system in a visual (TV or video)telephone-form that is capable of transmitting live image signalsbetween callers mutually, especially, capable of supplying a newcommercial transaction environment by utilizing ordinary privatecommunication as advertisement means.

[0073] First, the configuration of the communication system is describedby reference to FIGS. 1-5.

[0074]FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a basic configuration of acommunication system 11.

[0075] As shown in the FIG. 1, the communication system 11 has aplurality of user terminal apparatus 100 connection system 200, aservice business enterprise system 300 and a plurality of sponsorsystems 400 as its basic configuration.

[0076] The user terminal apparatus 100 are terminal apparatus forperforming conversations between users by means of audio and imagesignals, and at the same time are terminal apparatus for performing thesetting or the operations of communication services provided by theservice business enterprise system 300 and for receiving selling goodstransaction services provided by the sponsor systems 400.

[0077] The user terminal apparatus 100 have functions such as audiotelephone calls, the display of images and the taking of images.

[0078] The user terminal apparatus 100 are described by reference toFIG. 2.

[0079] The user terminal apparatus 100 includes a video camera 102, animage coding section 104, an image decoding section 106, a displaysection 108, a microphone 110, a voice coding section 112, a voicedecoding section 114, a speaker 116, an input section 118, a memory 120,a communication I/F (Inter-Face) 122 and a CPU (Central Processing Unit)124.

[0080] The camera 102 is a constituent element for taking image of anuser to transmit a live image signal to a communication companion.Namely, the camera 102 is a small-sized CCD (Charge Coupled Device)camera disposed at a position where at least an image of a face of theuser can be taken in a state that the user is ordinarily using the userterminal apparatus 100. Image signal signals obtained by the taking withthe camera 102 are output to the image coding section 104.

[0081] The image coding section 104 codes the image signals input fromthe camera 102 in conformity with a prescribed system to output thecoded signals to the communication I/F 122.

[0082] Coded image data of a communication companion, or coded imagedata to which advertisement information is added by the service businessenterprise system 300, which will be described later, and coded imagedata of selling goods transmitted from the sponsor system 400, whichwill be described later, in some cases, are input into the imagedecoding section 106 from the communication I/F 122. The image decodingsection 106 decodes the input coded image data to output the decodedimage data to the display section 108. There are a case where onlyeither of the two image data is input and a case where both of them areinput substantially at the same time. Even in the case where both ofthem are simultaneously input, the image decoding section 106 decodesboth of them substantially at the same time, so that it is possible todisplay them on the display section 108 at the same time, and outputsthe decoded data to the display section 108.

[0083] The display section 108 displays the image data input from theimage decoding section 106, for example, text data concerning sellinggoods input from the communication I/F 122 directly from the sponsorsystem 400, which will be described later, the information related tothe usage states and the operations of the user terminal apparatus 100input from the CPU 124, and the like on a display so that an user canvisually recognize them.

[0084] Although it is not shown, the display section 108 has a displaythat displays images actually and a control section that generatessignals to be superposed on the display. The image data input by theimage decoding section 106 from the communication companion, the imagedata of the selling goods, the text data input from the communicationI/F 122 and the CPU 124, and the like are superposed to a signal to bedisplayed on a screen by a control section, and are converted into asignal suitable for being input on the display, for example, and theyare converted into an analog signal. Then the converted analog signal isimposed on the display to be displayed.

[0085] The microphone 110 takes in the outside voices or sound includingan user's voice at a time of telephone calling, and generates an audiosignal to output the generated signal to the voice coding section 112.

[0086] The voice coding section 112 codes the audio signal input fromthe microphone 110 in conformity with a prescribed system to output thecoded signal to the communication I/F 122.

[0087] The voice decoding section 114 decodes the coded audio data thatis received by the communication I/F 122 and is input into the voicedecoding section 114, and converts the coded audio data into an analogsignal capable of being output from the speaker 116 to impose theconverted signal on the speaker 116.

[0088] The speaker 116 outputs the audio signal input from the voicedecoding section 114 as a voice.

[0089] The input section 118 is an operation section for performingvarious operations of an user such as the dialing to a destination oftelephone calling, the setting of various functions of the user terminalapparatus 100, the setting of various services to the service businessenterprise system 300, the designation of selling goods included in alive image signal from a communication companion, the operation forpicking up the information, the various operations for selling goodsintroduction screen transmitted from the sponsor system 400. The inputsection 118 has a ten-key and an arbitrary pointing device.

[0090] The memory 120 memorizes a computer software program for theprocessing of the control of the whole user terminal apparatus 100performed by the CPU 124 and various data such as setting data of thefunctions and the operations of the user terminal apparatus 100, dataduring processing in the CPU 124, data being transmitted between eachconstituent section, and data during processing in each constituentsection.

[0091] Moreover, as the data related especially to the presentinvention, the destination information of the connection of the sponsorsystem 400 of the information of selling goods included in a live imagesignal from a communication companion for obtaining the more detailedinformation of the selling goods is memorized in the memory 120 insequence.

[0092] Incidentally, in the present embodiment, when the information ofa plurality of selling goods is received at one time of communication,all of the destination information of connections of the sponsor systems400 of the selling goods is memorized in the memory 120. Moreover, thestored information is erased by the user terminal apparatus 100 when thenext communication begins.

[0093] The communication I/F 122 performs the modulation and thedemodulation of data, protocol control and so forth, and communicateswith the outside actually.

[0094] Voice data input from the microphone 110 and coded by the voicecoding section 112 and image data taken by the camera 102 and coded bythe image coding section 104 are transmitted from the communication I/F122. Incidentally, the transmitted data are finally transmitted to acommunication companion through the connection system 200 and theservice business enterprise system 300.

[0095] Moreover, the data transmitted from a communication companionthrough the service business enterprise system 300 and the connectionsystem 200 is received by the communication I/F 122, and then the imagedata thereof is output to the image decoding section 106, and the voicedata thereof is output to the voice decoding section 114, and the textdata thereof is output to the display section 108, and the control datathereof is output to the CPU 124, respectively.

[0096] Moreover, when an user wants to obtain more detailed informationof selling goods on the basis of the information of the selling goodsincluded in a live image from a communication companion, thecommunication I/F 122 transmits a demand for the more detailedinformation of the selling goods generated by the CPU 124 on the basisof an operation of the input section 118 by the user to the sponsorsystem 400 concerning the selling goods through the connection system200.

[0097] Moreover, when some information is transmitted from the sponsorsystem 400 in response to the demand, or when the connection with thesponsor system 400 is established, the communication I/F 122 receivesthe information transmitted from the sponsor system 400, and the imagedata thereof is output to the image decoding section 106, and the voicedata thereof is output to the voice decoding section 114, and the textdata thereof is output to the display section 108, and the control datathereof is output to the CPU 124, respectively.

[0098] The CPU 124 operates in conformity with programs memorized in thememory 120 (preferably a ROM (Read Only Memory)) and controls eachsection of the user terminal apparatus 100 to perform desiredoperations.

[0099] As the processing concerning the present invention, for example,there is the processing of the communication I/F 122 at the time ofreceiving the information of the advertisement information of sellinggoods added to a live image from a communication companion. In theprocessing, the communication I/F 122 extracts the destinationinformation of connection of the sponsor system 400 concerning theselling goods included in the advertisement information, and memorizesthe extracted destination information of connection in the memory 120(preferably a RAM (Random Access Memory in this case)).

[0100] Then, when the operation for obtaining the detailed informationof the selling goods is performed by the user, the CPU 124 requires thedetailed information to the sponsor system 400 concerning the sellinggoods through the communication I/F 122 on the basis of the destinationinformation of connection stored in the memory 120.

[0101] Moreover, when the CPU 124 performs the actually processingconcerning a commercial transaction as a result of the communicationwith the sponsor system 400, the CPU 124 performs an authenticationprocessing, an adjustment processing and the like therefor.

[0102] Moreover, when communication with a new destination ofcommunication is begun, the CPU 124 performs the processing of erasingthe destination information of the connection, which is stored in thememory 120, of the sponsor system 400 of the selling goods theadvertisement information of which is received in the communication atthe last time.

[0103] In the user terminal apparatus 100 having such a configuration,the communication I/F 122 begins communication with an outside apparatusin conformity with the control of the CPU 124 by, for example, anoperation of the input section 118 by an user.

[0104] After the securing of a channel, a voice pronounced by the useris taken in by the microphone 110 to be converted into a digital codedsignal by the voice coding section 112. An image of the user is taken bythe camera 102 to be converted into a digital coded signal by the imagecoding section 104. Moreover, additional information, controlinformation and the like are generated by the CPU 124 on the basis of,for example, an operation of the input section 118 by the user as theneed arises, and the generated information is transmitted through thecommunication I/F 122 respectively.

[0105] Moreover, audio signals and image signals in the form of digitalcoded signals, and additional information and control information as theneed arises, are transmitted also from the outside to the user terminalapparatus 100. In the user terminal apparatus 100, the communication I/F122 receives these signals and information, and the audio signals aredecoded by the voice decoding section 114 to be output by the speaker116, and the image signals are decoded by the image decoding section 106to be displayed by the display section 108.

[0106] Moreover, the additional information and the control informationare appropriately processed by the CPU 124 on the basis of theinformation.

[0107] The communication in the visual telephone-form by the use of liveimages with an arbitrary companion becomes possible by such an operationof the user terminal apparatus 100.

[0108] Moreover, in the present embodiment, signals composed of imagesignals, audio signals, both being transmitted from a communicationcompanion, and some advertisement information of selling goods added tothe image signals and the audio signals are transmitted to the userterminal apparatus 100 by the service business enterprise system 300,which will be described later. The advertisement information to be addedincludes image data of the selling goods to be added to the imagesignals, the information to be transmitted as control signals forprescribing the added image data part, the connection information of thesponsor system 400 concerning the selling goods, the information forprescribing the operations of the user terminal apparatus 100 in thecase where the image data is selected by the user, and the like. Whensuch signals are transmitted, the image signals thereof and the audiosignals thereof are decoded by the image decoding section 106 and thevoice decoding section 114, respectively, and are output by the displaysection 108 and the speaker 116, respectively, as described above.

[0109] The control signal is once memorized in the memory 120 by the CPU124, and is referred in the case where the user performs some operationof the input section 118, or the like. That is, prescribed processing isexecuted on the basis of the stored information that prescribesoperations. To put it more concretely, for example, the followingprocessing is performed: the operations and instructions of the user aredetected by reference to the information prescribing a stored image datapart; the detailed information concerning selling goods is demanded tothe sponsor system 400 by reference to stored connection information;and the connection with the sponsor system 400 is performed.

[0110] The user terminal apparatus 100 performs the communication withthe sponsor systems 400 after that, and the processing such as theacquisition of the information concerning the selling goods or the orderof the selling goods is executed by the aforesaid communicationfunction.

[0111] However, in the case where the user terminal apparatus 100 has anauthentication function or the function of specific adjustmentprocessing, the CPU 124 utilizes these functions when actual sellinggoods transactions are performed.

[0112] Moreover, as mentioned above, the communication I/F 122 canperform simultaneous communication with a plurality of destinations ofcommunication, and also the display section 108 can display a pluralityof images at the same time. Consequently, it is possible to do at thesame time the communication with a desired companion in the visualtelephone-form, which is described first, and the communication with thesponsor system 400 concerning the selling goods that is detected at thattime and the display of the information of the selling goods.

[0113] The mentioned above are the configuration of the user terminalapparatus 100 and the operations thereof.

[0114] The connection system 200 provides a communication networkcomprising nodes including the user terminal apparatus 100, the servicebusiness enterprise system 300 and the sponsor systems 400, and theconnection system 200 connects arbitrary nodes to each other in thecommunication network in response to a demand from each of the nodeapparatus to enable communication between each apparatus.

[0115] As the processing related to the present embodiment, because theuser terminal apparatus 100 makes a connection demand on the servicebusiness enterprise system 300 primarily in the case where communicationbetween the user terminal apparatus 100 is performed, the connectionsystem 200 connects the user terminal apparatus 100 with the servicebusiness enterprise system 300 in the network on the basis of theconnection demand. Then, the connection system 200 secondarily connectsthe service business enterprise system 300 with the user terminalapparatus 100 that is a telephone call companion in response to andemand of the service business enterprise system 300 after that.

[0116] Thereby, there is provided an environment in which the userterminal apparatus 100, which demanded the connection, and the userterminal apparatus 100 being a communication companion can communicatethrough the service business enterprise system 300.

[0117] Moreover, the connection system 200 connects the user terminalapparatus 100 and the sponsor system 400 in the network on the basis ofa demand from the user terminal apparatus 100 or the sponsor system 400.

[0118] Moreover, when the service business enterprise system 300introduces an user to the sponsor system 400 or the like, the connectionsystem 200 transmits the information concerning the user from theservice business enterprise system 300 to the sponsor system 400 orconnects them with each other in response to a demand from the servicebusiness enterprise system 300.

[0119] Incidentally, the connection system 200 connects each apparatusby channels in various forms, but the connection system 200 connects theuser terminal apparatus 100 to each other by means of a channel havingan enough bandwidth through which real-time moving image signals can betransmitted finally.

[0120] The service business enterprise system 300 is a system thatprovides a communication environment in which advertisement informationintervenes in usual private communication to each of the user terminalapparatus 100.

[0121] The service business enterprise system 300 basically mediates theconnection among a plurality of the user terminal apparatus 100 andprovides communication services in the visual telephone-form thatincludes the mutual transmission of moving image signals to these userterminal apparatus 100 and, at that time, the service businessenterprise system 300 makes the addition of advertisement informationand the development to selling goods transaction processing therefrompossible by superposing the image data of desired selling goods selectedby an user himself or herself with a transmitted live image signal, andfurther by adding information enabling the immediate communication withthe sponsor system 400 concerning the selling goods in response to ademand of an user on the reception side.

[0122] The service business enterprise system 300 having the aforesaidfunctions will be described by reference to FIGS. 3-S.

[0123]FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the constitution of the servicebusiness enterprise system 300.

[0124] As shown in FIG. 3, the service business enterprise system 300comprises a communication I/F 310, an advertisement information addingsection 320, a database I/F 330, an user database 350, a sponsordatabase 360, a contract-related database 370, an advertisementinformation database 380 and a control section 340.

[0125] The communication I/F 310 is an interface that communicates withan arbitrary destination of communication through the connection system200, and communicates especially with the user terminal apparatus 100 inthe present embodiment.

[0126] When the user terminal apparatus 100 makes a connection demand onthe communication I/F 310 through the connection system 200, thecommunication I/F 310 receives the demand and establishes a channel withthe user terminal apparatus 100. Then, when a signal indicating somedemand, setting and so forth is input from the user terminal apparatus100, the communication I/F 310 outputs the signal to the control section340.

[0127] In the case where the user terminal apparatus 100 demands thesetting of a communication environment and a communication condition, orthe like such as the alteration of the condition concerning theprocessing of the addition of advertisement information, the selectionof selling goods or a sponsor, or the like, because some response to thedemand is input into the communication I/F 310 from the control section340, the communication I/F 310 transmits the response back to the userterminal apparatus 100.

[0128] Moreover, when the user terminal apparatus 100 demands thecommunication with another user terminal apparatus 100, because thecommunication I/F 310 is instructed by the control section 340 toconnect the user terminal apparatus 100 with the user terminal apparatus100 of the communication companion on a line, the communication I/F 310demands the connection to the connection system 200 on the basis of theinstruction. Thereby, a channel is established between the user terminalapparatus 100 that demanded the communication and the user terminalapparatus 100 of the communication companion.

[0129] After the channel is established, the communication I/F 310receives signals including image signals and audio signals that areinput from each user terminal apparatus 100, and outputs them to theadvertisement information adding section 320. Moreover, thecommunication I/F 310 transmits signals including image signals andaudio signals that are input from the advertisement information addingsection 320 to each user terminal apparatus 100.

[0130] The advertisement information adding section 320 addsadvertisement information to the transmission data between the userterminal apparatus 100, which are input from the communication I/F 310,as the occasion demands in conformity with the setting by the user whoconcerns the user terminal apparatus 100 that transmitted thetransmission data.

[0131] Audio data, image data and control data that are transmitted fromeach user terminal apparatus 100 are input to the advertisementinformation adding section 320 through the communication I/F 310.

[0132] Because the advertisement information adding section 320 does notadd any advertisement information to the audio data in the presentembodiment, the advertisement information adding section 320 outputsinput audio data to the communication I/F 310 as they are as thetransmission data to the user terminal apparatus 100 of thecommunication companion.

[0133] As for the image data, in the case where an user who transmittedthe transmission data set to add advertisement information, theadvertisement information adding section 320 superposes the image dataof the advertisement information of specific selling goods selected bythe user that is input from the database I/F 330 into a part of thetransmitted image data that is, for example, a live image of the userand outputs the superposed image data to the communication I/F 310 astransmission data to the user terminal apparatus 100 of the telephonecalling companion.

[0134] In particular, the advertisement information adding section 320of the present embodiment superposes the image data of selling goods ofthe object of advertisement in a way that is fitted to the live image ofan user. To put it more concretely, the advertisement information addingsection 320 superposes the image signal in the form that the imageindicating the selling goods is used by the user or used as thebackground thereof, or in the form that the selling goods itself is wornby the user or held by the user or laid in the space in which the userexists.

[0135] In the case where the advertisement image data are thussuperposed, in order that the user can actually obtain furtherinformation concerning the selling goods or can perform the transactionthereof on the basis of the advertisement information, the advertisementinformation adding section 320 adds additional information of theadvertisement information of the selling goods that is input from thedatabase I/F 330 together with the image data, or, to put it concretely,the information prescribing a superposed image data part, the connectioninformation of the sponsor system 400 concerning the selling goods, andthe information prescribing the operations of the user terminalapparatus 100 when the image data is selected by the user related to theuser terminal apparatus 100, to the control data transmitted from theuser terminal apparatus 100, and the advertisement information addingsection 320 outputs the added control data to the communication I/F 310as transmission data to the user terminal apparatus 100 of the telephonecalling companion.

[0136] Moreover, in the case where an user did not set to add theadvertisement information, both of the image data and the control data,which are input from the communication I/F 310 into the advertisementinformation adding section 320, are output to the communication I/F 310from the advertisement information adding section 320 as they are as thetransmission data to the user terminal apparatus 100 of thecommunication companion like the audio data.

[0137] Incidentally, the processing of investigating the setting by anuser and of controlling the operations of the advertisement informationadding section 320 when the advertisement information adding section 320performs such processing is actually done by the control section 340that will be described later. Accordingly, the advertisement informationadding section 320 performs the aforesaid processing by the use of theadvertisement image data that is input from the database I/F 330 by thecontrol of the control section 340 as the need arises on the basis ofcontrol signals that are input from the control section 340.

[0138] As for the constitution of the advertisement information addingsection 320 for performing such processing, especially, the constitutionof a part thereof for processing the addition of advertisement imagedata to image data will be described by reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 moreminutely.

[0139]FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the constitution of a part thatperforms the processing to add advertisement image data to the imagedata in the advertisement information adding section 320.

[0140] The advertisement information adding section 320 has an imagesignal superposing area extraction section 321, a preprocessing section326, an image superposing section 327 and a switching section 328.

[0141] The image superposing area extracting section 321 decides anobject the advertisement image data of which is superposed on the basisof input image data and the information of the object that is preferablefor the superposition of the advertisement image data to be superposed,which is input from the control section 340, and outputs the informationprescribing the area of the object to the preprocessing section 326 andthe image superposing section 327.

[0142] The constitution and the operations of the image superposing areaextracting section 321 will be described in detail by reference to FIG.5.

[0143]FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the constitution of the imagesuperposing area extracting section 321 shown in FIG. 4, The imagesuperposing area extracting section 321 has a feature extracting section322, a knowledge database 323, a candidate object detecting section 324and a superposing area deciding section 325.

[0144] The feature extracting section 322 extracts a prescribed featurepoints, for example, a changing point of luminance, a changing point ofcolor, a point of a specific color and the like, and outputs theinformation of the extracted feature points to the candidate objectdetecting section 324.

[0145] The knowledge database 323 is a database storing the objects ininput image data that the image superposition area extracting section321 is going to recognize in a form prescribed by feature points beingdetection objects of the candidate object detecting section 324. Herein,the aforesaid objects in input image data are image data generated bytaking of the data of objects having a possibility of being replaced byadvertisement image data or of being superposed with the advertisementimage data by the user terminal apparatus 100. A plurality of data ofeach object are recorded at every state corresponding to some typicalimage data having high possibilities of being generated in cases wherethe user terminal apparatus 100 are ordinarily used to take ordinarilyconceivable scenes.

[0146] Moreover, the knowledge database 323 stores other features suchas “the face and the hands have the same color as that of the skin.”besides the dispositions of the feature points of each object, orfeatures of relative positional relationships of each object, forexample, “an outerwear is disposed below a face, and hands locate on theboth sides thereof.”

[0147] The candidate object detecting section 324 compares theconfiguration of a feature point extracted by the feature extractingsection 322 with the data of each object recorded in the knowledgedatabase 323, and refers the other features other than the disposal ofthe feature point and the features of relative positional relationshipswith the already detected objects, and thereby detects the area of aspecific object having a possibility of being replaced or superposed byadvertisement image data in the input image data. The information of thedetected object is output to the superposing area deciding section 325.

[0148] The superposing area deciding section 325 decides an object forsuperposing a final advertisement image data on the basis of theinformation of the detection result of the object input from thecandidate object detecting section 324 and the information that ispreferable for the superposing of the advertisement image data and isinput from the control section 340. The information of the objects thatare possible to be superposed and are beforehand set at every sellinggoods and the information of the order of priority of the objects areinput into the superposing area deciding section 325 from the controlsection 340. Accordingly, the superposing area deciding section 325checks whether or not any object possible to be superposed is detectedby the candidate object detecting section 324 in sequence from thehigher order of priority, and decides the object that is detected as theobject being the superposed object.

[0149] Then, the superposing area deciding section 325 outputs theinformation that prescribes the area of the object from the imagesuperposed area extracting section 321.

[0150] The aforesaid is the description of the constitution of the imagesuperposing area extracting section 321.

[0151] The preprocessing section 326 of the advertisement informationadding section 320 converts the advertisement image data of thesuperposed object read out from the advertisement information database380 and input through the database I/F 330 to data having a size and ashape possible to be superposed to the area of the superposing objectextracted by the image superposing area extracting section 321, andoutputs the converted data to the image superposing section 327.

[0152] The image superposing section 327 superposes the data in thesuperposing object area input from the image superposing area extractingsection 321 and the advertisement image data input from thepreprocessing section 326 among the input data, and outputs the imagedata of the result of the superposing to the switching section 328. Inthe present embodiment, the image superposing section 327 merelyreplaces the data in the area of the superposing object of the inputimage data with the advertisement image data and outputs the replaceddata.

[0153] The switching section 328 selects input image data in the casewhere an user did not set to add advertisement information, and selectsthe image data superposed by the image superposing section 327 in thecase where the user set to add the advertisement information on thebasis of the control signal from the control section 340, and then theselected data are respectively output to the communication I/F 310.

[0154] The aforesaid is the description of the constitutional sectionconcerning the processing of the image data in the advertisementinformation adding section 320.

[0155] The database I/F 330 of the service business enterprise system300 reads out the advertisement information of desired selling goodsfrom the advertisement information database 380 under the control of thecontrol section 340, and outputs the read out advertisement informationto the advertisement information adding section 320 through a prescribedchannel. A plurality of input-output channels possible to output imagedata concurrently are provided between the database I/F 330 and theadvertisement information adding section 320, and the database I/F 330virtually concurrently reads out a plurality of pieces of advertisementinformation and outputs the read out advertisement information to theadvertisement information adding section 320 through the prescribedchannels.

[0156] Incidentally, the advertisement information read out from theadvertisement information database 380 has the advertisement image dataand the additional information of the selling goods.

[0157] The user database 350 is a kind of database which records thevarious management data of the user who uses the communication serviceprovided by the service business enterprise system 300.

[0158] The user database 350 records the management data such as thename, the ID (Identification), the destination information of connectionmanagement data of each user and the adjustment data concerning theutilization of services. Moreover, the setting whether each userapproves the usage of his or her live image as an advertising medium ornot is also recorded.

[0159] The sponsor database 360 is a kind of database storing variousdata on the sides of sponsors which use the advertisement propagandizingservices to the live image in the private communication by the servicebusiness enterprise system 300.

[0160] The sponsor database 360 stores the information such as thesponsor of each selling goods that are desired to be advertised, thedestination information of connection to the sponsor, the addressinformation for the reading out of the advertisement information of theselling goods by the advertisement information database 380, and apreferable superposed form at the time of the superposing of the sellinggoods to the live image signal.

[0161] The contract-related database 370 stores the information such asthe contracts with the users, who approved the usage of their live imagesignals as the advertisement media, for the actual usage as theadvertisement media, the setting thereof, and the conditions thereof. Toput it concretely, information such as the selling goods, the ways ofexchanging the advertisements, the advertisement orders of priority, andthe consideration receiving ways of advertisement objects selected byeach user are recorded.

[0162] The advertisement information database 380 is a kind of databaserecording the advertisement information of each selling goods of theadvertisement object is recorded.

[0163] In the advertisement information database 380, the advertisementinformation of every selling goods, i.e. the image data and theadditional information of the selling goods are recorded. The additionalinformation contains the connection information of the sponsor system400 of the sponsor of selling goods and the information that prescribesthe operations of the user terminal apparatus 100 when the image dataare chosen by the user.

[0164] Then, the information concerning the selling goods of anadvertisement object is read out at high speed by the database I/F 330from the advertisement information database 380. Moreover, theadvertisement information of new selling goods transmitted from asponsor is appropriately recorded in the advertisement informationdatabase 380 through the database I/F 330.

[0165] The control section 340 appropriately adds advertisementinformation to data to be transmitted between users, and controls eachsection of the service business enterprise system 300 so that theservice business enterprise system 300 can appropriately provideadvertisement propaganda environment to the user terminal apparatus 100and the sponsor system 400 that are connected by the connection system200.

[0166] To put it concretely, first, the control section 340 performsdesired processing correspondingly to various demands which are inputfrom the user terminal apparatus 100 and the sponsor system 400 throughthe communication I/F 310.

[0167] For example, in the case where the sponsor system 400 makesdemands such as the utilization of the advertisement service provided bythe service business enterprise system 300, and the new registration andthe erasure of selling goods of an advertisement object, the controlsection 340 appropriately updates the sponsor database 360 and theadvertisement information database 380 on the basis of the demands.

[0168] Moreover, in the case where a new user demands his or herregistration, the control section 340 appropriately performs sessionswith the user terminal apparatus 100 through the communication I/F 310to obtain various pieces of information which are necessary to theregistration, and the control section 340 performs the investigation ofthe user as the occasion demands. Then, if the user passes theinvestigation, the control section 340 records the information in theuser database 350 and registers the user.

[0169] Moreover, in the case where the user terminal apparatus 100performs the setting as to whether the user approves that a live imageof the user to be transmitted to a communication companion is utilizedas an advertisement medium or not, and in the case where the userselects selling goods or demands to change the setting or the selectionin the case where the user approves the utilization, the control section340 updates the contents of the contract-related database 370 on thebasis of the user's demands.

[0170] Moreover, when the user terminal apparatus 100 demands thecommunication with another user terminal apparatus 100, the controlsection 340 instructs the communication I/F 310 to connect the demandeduser terminal apparatus 100 with the user terminal apparatus 100 of thecommunication companion.

[0171] Then, referring to the user database 350, the control section 340judges whether or not the user terminal apparatus 100 that demanded thecommunication and the user terminal apparatus 100 of the communicationcompanion are respectively performed the setting to use their liveimages as advertising media.

[0172] When the user terminal apparatus 100 performed such setting,referring to the contract-related database 370, the control section 340reads out the contents of the setting, i.e. the information whichselling goods are changed at which timing while performing thesuperposing of the advertisement information of the selling goods.

[0173] Moreover, the control section 340 instructs the database I/F 330to read out the advertisement information of the selling goods to besuperposed and to output the read out advertisement information to aprescribed channel of the advertisement information adding section 320.

[0174] Moreover, the control section 340 controls the operations of theadvertisement information adding section 320 so that advertisement imagesignals are appropriately superposed according to the setting read outfrom the contract-related database 370 when communication is begunbetween the user terminal apparatus 100.

[0175] Next, the operations of such communication system 11 will bedescribed by reference to FIGS. 6-8.

[0176]FIG. 6 is a figure for illustrating the operations of thecommunication system 11.

[0177] First, an user A performs the setting of the use of the user'slive image signal as the advertising medium beforehand and the selectionof commodities to the service business enterprise system 300.

[0178] When the user A tried to communicate with an user B by the visualtelephone-form using live image signals under such a situation, the userA demands the connection with the user terminal apparatus 100-B of theuser B from the user terminal apparatus 100-A to the service businessenterprise system 300 through the connection system 200-(1).

[0179] In the service business enterprise system 300, the demand isinput into the control section 340 through the communication I/F 310,and the demand of the connection to the user terminal apparatus 100-B ofthe user B is made from the communication I/F 310 to the connectionsystem 200 under the control of the control section 340.

[0180] Each circuit connection among the user terminal apparatus 100-Aof the user A, the user terminal apparatus 100-B of the user B and theservice business enterprise system 300 is established by the calling ofthe user terminal apparatus 100-B of the user B by the connection system200 and by the setting of the user terminal apparatus 100-B by the userB to a telephone calling state (200-(2)).

[0181] On the other hand, the control section 340 of the servicebusiness enterprise system 300 retrieves the information of the user Aand the user B in the user database 350 when the control section 340receives the connection demand from the user A, and checks whether theuser A and the user B respectively performed the setting to use eachlive image signal as an advertisement medium or not.

[0182] As a result, because the user A performed such setting, thecontrol section 340 reads out the information such as the selling goods,changing conditions of the selling goods, and consideration receptionmethods from the contract-related database 370, and the control section340 reads out the information such as the address of the advertisementinformation database 380 in which the advertisement information of theselling goods is recorded and the superposed form at the time of thesuperposing of the selling goods from the sponsor database 360.

[0183] Then, on the basis of the read out information, the controlsection 340 instructs the database I/F 330 to read out the data of theselling goods of the advertisement object from the advertisementinformation database 380, and instructs the advertisement informationadding section 320 to superpose the image data of the selling goods to alive image signal in a fashion that the user and the sponsor desire,respectively.

[0184] When the live image signal to be transmitted to the user terminalapparatus 100-B is input to the service business enterprise system 300from the user terminal apparatus 100-A of the user A in such a state,the advertisement information adding section 320 superposes the imagesignal of the selling goods of the advertisement object on the liveimage signal, and the superposed image signal is transmitted to the userterminal apparatus 100-B of the user B.

[0185] For example, in the case where a live image signal 500 shown inFIG. 7 is input, and the selling goods of the advertisement object are ahamburger, and further the superposed form of the selling goods is acondition of “printing the picture of the selling goods on the clothes”,an image that a pattern 502 of a hamburger is printed on the T shirtthat the user A wears as shown in FIG. 8 is transmitted to the user B.

[0186] Moreover, at this time, the information such as the area wherethe image data of the advertisement object as selling goods isdisplayed, the address of the sponsor system 400 of the sponsor of theselling goods, and the destination of connection is transmitted to theuser terminal apparatus 100-B of the user B at the same time as controldata together with the superposed image data.

[0187] The processing in the advertisement information adding section320 for generating a superposing image signal as shown in FIG. 8 will bedescribed.

[0188] First, feature points such as the luminance changing points, thecolor changing points and the representative points of colors of thelive image signal as shown in FIG. 7 are detected by the featureextracting section 322 in the image superposing area extracting section321 of the advertisement information adding section 320.

[0189] Next, the information stored in the knowledge database 323 wherethe shapes of faces, hands and outerwear are beforehand recorded isactively utilized by the candidate object detecting section 324, andobjects such as those faces, hands and outerwear are detected in theimage signal which is composed of the feature points. For example,objects such as the face, the hands and the outerwear are detected inthe image as shown in FIG. 7.

[0190] Then, the object according to the information of the superposedform of the advertisement object as selling goods input from the controlsection 340 is selected among the detected objects by the superposingarea deciding section 325, and the area information of the selectedobject is output to the preprocessing section 326 and the imagesuperposing section 327. For example, if superposed forms such as “onthe plane in the background”, “outerwear” and “hand” are set to theselling goods of “hamburger” in the order, the “outerwear” at the secondplace in the order agrees with the information. Consequently, the areainformation in the live image of the outerwear is output.

[0191] Next, the preprocessing section 326 in the advertisementinformation adding section 320 transforms the image data input from theadvertisement information database 380 through the database I/F 330,i.e. the image data of “hamburger” to the image data having anappropriate size and shape for the embedding into the area detected bythe image superposing area extracting section 321, and outputs theresulted image data to the image superposing section 327.

[0192] Then, in the image superposing section 327, the image data of thehamburger input from the preprocessing section 326 is superposed in anarea of the outerwear of the live image signal input from the imagesuperposing area extracting section 321, and then the image as shown inFIG. 8 is generated.

[0193] The generated superposed image data is selected by the switchingsection 328 and is transmitted to the user terminal apparatus 100-B ofthe user B through the communication I/F 310.

[0194] Now, when the user B who is talking with the user A over thetelephone and to whom an image, for example, shown in FIG. 8 istransmitted takes an interest in the hamburger printed on the T shirt ofthe user A, it is expected that the user B asks the user A what thehamburger is as an ordinary action.

[0195] On the other hand, the possibility that the user A has someknowledge about the hamburger and has a good feeling to the hamburger ishigh because they are the selling goods that the user A selected as anadvertisement object of his or her own accord.

[0196] Consequently, if the user B asks the user A about the hamburger,there is high possibility that the user A explains the hamburger beingthe selling goods and gives utterance recommending and urging thepurchase of the selling goods by the remarks such as “it is delicious”or “why not try it once”.

[0197] As a result, the effect of the advertisement propaganda isobtained more than the image of the object is simply provided to theuser B.

[0198] Regardless of the existence of such a conversation between theusers, when the user B takes an interest in the hamburger and wants toknow the detailed information, for example, the price thereof, theselling period thereof, the nearest purchasable place and the like, theuser B performs the selection operation of the hamburger on the userterminal apparatus 100-B.

[0199] As mentioned above, the information indicating the image area ofthe advertisement object as selling goods, the destination informationof connection of the sponsor system 400 of the sponsor of the sellinggoods and the information prescribing the operations of the userterminal apparatus 100-B in the case where the image of the sellinggoods is selected as the need arises are transmitted to the userterminal apparatus 100-B in addition to the live image including thesuperposing image signal of the advertisement object as selling goods.

[0200] Consequently, the user terminal apparatus 100-B performs theprescribed operation by the selection of the image of the selling goodsby the user B. In the present embodiment, by the selection of the imagedata of the selling goods, the demand of information or the demand ofcommunication is made by the user terminal apparatus 100-B to thesponsor system 400 of the sponsor of the selling goods.

[0201] As a result, the sponsor system 400 accesses to the user terminalapparatus 100-B of the user B, and then the further information of theselling goods is transmitted. Moreover, in some cases, the purchase ofthe selling goods can be applied, too, (200-(3)).

[0202] Incidentally, along with such processing, the control section 340of the service business enterprise system 300 totals up the informationof the actual results of the processing concerning the advertisementpropaganda, namely the number of times or the period of time of theusage after the superposed of the image data of the selling goods, thenumber of times of the selection of the selling goods at the destinationof advertisement, the fact whether the selling goods are finallypurchased or not, and the like, at every user who is advertisementmedium, and at every selling goods, and stores the totaled upinformation in the user database 350 and the sponsor database 360.

[0203] Then, the control section 340 performs the processing of paying aprescribed consideration to each user who is an advertising medium onthe basis of the information of the actual usage results appropriately.

[0204] As described above, according to the communication system 11 ofthe present embodiment, a live image which is used in a privatecommunication environment among ordinary users can be used as anadvertisement propaganda environment of the selling goods or anelectronic transaction environment.

[0205] Then, especially, such advertisement propaganda is performed in away that an user advertises the selling goods which the user selectedpersonally on the basis of the experience and the judge of himself orherself to the private companion. Consequently, the effect thereof isvery high.

[0206] Incidentally, the present invention is not limited to the presentembodiment and arbitrary and suitable various alterations are possible.

[0207] For example, the superposing form of the image signal of sellinggoods performed by the advertisement information adding section 320 ofthe service business enterprise system 300 is not limited to the exampleshown in FIG. 8, and a various forms are available.

[0208] For example, the place where the image data of selling goods isembedded may be an optional place in a transmitted live image.

[0209] For example, an image 503 of selling goods may be superposed in ahorizontal plane part in the background image as shown in FIG. 9, and animage 504 of selling goods may be superposed in a perpendicular planepart in the background image as shown in FIG. 10. In the former case,the image with reality as if the selling goods are placed on thehorizontal plane such as a desk can be obtained, and in the latter case,the image with reality as if the selling goods are hung on a wall or apicture of the selling goods is hung on the wall can be obtained.

[0210] Moreover, in the first place, the image of a selling goods may besuperposed in a form as if the user taken by a video camera in the liveimage is using the selling goods.

[0211] For example, there may be produced an image in which theouterwear of the user is replaced by closes 505 of an advertisementobject in the first place as shown in FIG. 11 and an image in which theuser has selling goods 506 by hand as shown in FIG. 12.

[0212] According to such a way, such image with more reality can begenerated.

[0213] Moreover, as shown in FIG. 13, the advertisement and propagandaof selling goods may be performed in a way in which an object 507 havingthe name of the selling goods or the image signal of the selling goodsis simply superimposed on a live image signal regardless of the liveimage.

[0214] Such a method has small reality, but the structure of an imageprocessing circuit can be simplified very much.

[0215] Such a basic way, too, is within the scope of the presentinvention.

[0216] Moreover, although it is not shown in the aforesaid embodiment,in the case where the user B who is talking with the user A over thetelephone took an interest in advertised selling goods and begin tocommunicate with the sponsor system 400 concerning the selling goods,the further information of the selling goods transmitted from thesponsor system 400 is simultaneously displayed on the display section108 of the user terminal apparatus 100-B on which a live image of theuser A is being displayed.

[0217] The forms of the display in this case include the cases shown inFIGS. 14A-14D, for example, and may be arbitrary forms.

[0218] For example, as shown in FIG. 14A, a window in which the liveimage of the user A is displayed and a window in which an introductionimage of selling goods is displayed may be displayed in a way that bothof the windows are displayed with a shift while being overlappedpartially, or both the windows may be displayed separately in thevertical direction as shown in FIG. 14B, or both may be displayedseparately in the horizontal direction as shown in FIG. 14C.

[0219] Moreover, while the information of selling goods is transmittedfrom the sponsor system 400, even if the user B is talking with the userA over the telephone, only the introduction image of the selling goodsmay be displayed on the whole screen of the display without the displayof the live image of the user A as shown in FIG. 14D.

[0220] Moreover, although the case where the information of sellinggoods is obtained from the sponsor system 400 while the user B keeps theconversation with the user A is described in the aforesaid embodiment,the information concerning the advertisement object as selling goodsthat are received during the telephone call with the user A is stored inthe memory 120 of the user terminal apparatus 100 until the nexttelephone call begins. Therefore, the information stored in the memory120 may be read out after the end of the telephone call with the user A,and the desired information may be obtained by the separate connectionwith the sponsor system 400.

[0221] Moreover, in the present embodiment, the information of anadvertisement object as selling goods is superposed only with imagedata, and audio data are transmitted between users without anyprocessing. However, in the present invention, the advertisementinformation may be added to audio data.

[0222] To put it concretely, for example, as the voices in thebackground while telephone calling is being practicing, music or voicesmaking the user remember the selling goods or the company manufacturingor selling the advertisement object.

[0223] Moreover, the audio data concerning an advertisement object asselling goods may be sounded when voiceless time has continued longerthan a predetermined period, namely silence continues longer than thepredetermined period.

[0224] The constitution of a processing section for the superposing ofvoices that is provided in the advertisement information adding section320 for the aforesaid cases is shown in FIG. 15.

[0225] In the configuration shown in FIG. 15, a voice superposing partdetecting section 621 detects parts at which voices are superposed, anda preprocessing section 626 converts, for example, the levels, theperiods and the like of the audio data to be superposed into formssuitable to the superposition. Furthermore, an image superposing section627 performs the superposing, and a switching section 628 selects thedata to be output.

[0226] Moreover, although in the aforesaid service business enterprisesystem 300 the advertisement object commodities are selected to be usedin conformity with the priority set by each user, they may be selectedaccording to telephone calling companions to be objects of advertisementpropaganda.

[0227] For example, each user may select selling goods by reference tothe previously registered information concerning the decision of sellinggoods when the user receives advertisements.

[0228] Moreover, as shown in FIG. 16, a hobby and preference database390 in which the hobby and the preference of each user are registered isbeforehand provided in a service business enterprise system 300 b, andthen selling goods that seem to be effective at the time of beingadvertised to an user may be selected on the basis of the data stored inthe hobby and preference database 390. In this case, the data to beregistered in the hobby and preference database 390 may be collected onthe basis of the declaration from each user, and they may beautomatically collected by the extraction using key words from thecontents of conversations of the users, or the like.

[0229] Moreover, the constitutions of the connection system 200 and theservice business enterprise system 300 in the communication system 11are also not limited to those of the present embodiment.

[0230] For example, as shown in FIG. 17, the configuration of thecommunication system may be a form in which a connection businessenterprise also supplies services as a service business enterprise,namely it may be the communication system 12 in which the connectionsystem 200 and the service business enterprise system 300 are integratedto form a connection business enterprise system 700.

[0231] Moreover, although the aforesaid embodiment includes a basicconfiguration in which one connection system 200 and one servicebusiness enterprise system 300 respectively provided, a configuration inwhich a plurality of connection systems 200 and a plurality of servicebusiness enterprise systems 300 are provided may be applicable.

[0232] Moreover, although the superposing of a live image and anadvertisement image is simply performed by replacing a prescribed areaof the live image signal with the advertisement image signal in theaforesaid embodiment, the superposing is not limited to such processing.For example, the superposing may be performed by processing the blend ofinput image data and advertisement image data at a prescribed ratio. Inthe case where such a superposing is performed, an image like aperspective of an input image as a background image can be generated,e.g. semitransparent selling goods can be more realistically expressed.

[0233] Moreover, the data form when such a live image signal and asuperposed image signal are transmitted may be a personal format, or maybe the format of a HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) or the iMODE.Moreover, it may be an arbitrary opened format to be connectable to theInternet.

[0234] Moreover, the superposing of a live image signal and sellinggoods image may be performed by the user terminal apparatus 100 on theside of transmission or the user terminal apparatus 100 on the side ofreception.

[0235] Moreover, on the occasion of the switchover to the mode of theelectronic transaction in which the information of selling goodsactually accessed from the advertisement, the access is not performeddirectly to the sponsor system 400 from the user terminal apparatus 100,but the service business enterprise system 300 may make the userterminal apparatus 100 and the sponsor system 400 connect by mediating.In such a form, the control data to be transmitted to the connectionsystem 200 from the service business enterprise system 300 in theadvertisement step can be decreased.

[0236] Moreover, an object of advertisement and propaganda may be anarbitrary one such as selling goods, a corporation and a brand.

[0237] Moreover, as for the timing at which an advertisement is changed,the advertisement of one object may be changed at every telephone call,or may be changed at every passage of a prescribed time. Furthermore,the advertisement may be changed in conformity with the operation of anuser who transmits communication or an user who receives thecommunication.

[0238] Moreover, an arbitrary standard may be set as the paymentstandard of a consideration that each user becomes an advertisingmedium. For example, the number of times of the appearance of anadvertisement, the period of time of the appearance of theadvertisement, the selection number of times by an user on the side ofreception, and every sales of the selling goods may be the standard.

[0239] Moreover, as to the payment method of the consideration in thecase, too, an arbitrary method may be adopted. For example, the paymentin cash, returning as a utility rate of the communication service,returning at the time of performing electronic transactions and the likemay be applicable.

[0240] Moreover, although the communication between two users isillustrated in the present embodiment, in case of communication amongnumerous users of equal to or more than three, too, it is possible toapply the present embodiment just as it is.

[0241] Besides, the way of the connecting of a connection businessenterprise, the kind of the communication network, the transmission formof data, the form of the user terminal apparatus and so on, too, may bean arbitrary way, an arbitrary kind, arbitrary forms, respectively, andthey are not limited to the present embodiment at all.

[0242] Moreover, in the present embodiment, the information of sellinggoods which are once memorized in the memory 120 of the user terminalapparatus 100 is supposed to be erased at every time when the nextcommunication is begun by the user terminal apparatus 100. However, theinformation may be accumulated in sequence, and may be made to be ableto be referred as the occasion demands by the tracing back to the past.The information of selling goods may be utilized in an arbitrary formafter reception.

[0243] Although the invention has been described in its preferred formwith a certain degree of particularity, obviously many changes andvariations are possible therein. It is therefore to be understood thatthe present invention may be practiced than as specifically describedherein without departing from scope and the spirit thereof.

What is claimed is:
 1. A communication service method comprising thesteps of: connecting a plurality of communication terminal apparatus ina state possible to transmit an audio and an image signals; superposinga first image signal transmitted from an arbitrary one of saidcommunication terminal apparatus with a second image signal of arbitraryselling goods; and delivering a third image signal generated bysuperposing said first and second image signals to said communicationterminal apparatus.
 2. The communication service method according toclaim 1 , wherein said selling goods are selected by an user of saidcommunication terminal apparatus that originates said first imagesignal.
 3. The communication service method according to claim 2 ,wherein said first image signal originated from said arbitrarycommunication terminal apparatus includes an image of said user of saidcommunication terminal apparatus.
 4. The communication service methodaccording to claim 1 , wherein said first image signal includes areal-time moving image signal.
 5. The communication service methodaccording to claim 1 , wherein more detailed information of said sellinggoods is supplied to said communication terminal apparatus in responseto a demand from one of said communication terminal apparatus.
 6. Thecommunication service method according to claim 5 , wherein anenvironment for performing transactions of said selling goods isproposed to said communication terminal apparatus to which said moredetailed information is supplied.
 7. The communication service methodaccording to claim 1 , wherein said first image signal from saidcommunication terminal apparatus is superposed with said second imagesignal of the selling goods so that the second image signal hassubstantially significant relation with an object included in said firstimage signal.
 8. The communication service method according to claim 3 ,wherein said first image signal originated from said communicationterminal apparatus is superposed with said second image signal of theselling goods so that said third image signal including an image inwhich said user of said communication terminal apparatus puts on theselling goods, uses the selling goods or holds the selling goods isgenerated.
 9. The communication service method according to claim 1 ,wherein consideration is paid to an user of said communication terminalapparatus to which said third image signal is delivered based on aprescribed condition concerning the delivery of said third image signalof the selling goods.
 10. The communication service method according toclaim 9 , wherein said consideration is determined based on a number oftimes of the delivery of said third image signal of the selling goods, aperiod of time of the delivery, or a prescribed condition for processingconcerning the selling goods performed by said user.
 11. Thecommunication service method according to claim 9 , wherein saidconsideration is paid by money, by countervailing of the considerationwith an utility rate of the communication service, or by countervailingof the consideration with money to be paid at a time of prescribedselling goods transactions.
 12. The communication service methodaccording to claim 2 , wherein said third image signal including animage of said selling goods are selectively delivered to saidcommunication terminal apparatus depending on the user thereof.
 13. Thecommunication service method according to claim 1 , wherein said sellinggoods included in said third image signal are changed in sequence atevery series of the connection, at every prescribed period of time, inresponse to a demand from said communication terminal apparatus thatgenerates said first image signal, or in response to a demand from saidcommunication terminal apparatus.
 14. A communication service apparatuscomprising: connecting means for connecting a plurality of communicationterminal apparatus in a state possible to transmit an audio and an imagedata; receiving means for receiving a first image data originated fromsaid connected communication terminal apparatus; image data superposingmeans for superposing said first image data with a second image data ofarbitrary selling goods to generate a third image data; and transmittingmeans for transmitting said third image data to another of saidconnected communication terminal apparatus.
 15. The communicationservice apparatus according to claim 14 , said apparatus furthercomprising: first recording means for recording said second image dataselected beforehand by each user of said communication terminalapparatus, in which said second image data being superposed with saidfirst image data from said communication terminal apparatus concerningthe user, wherein said image data superposing means generates said thirdimage data by superposing selected said second image data recorded insaid first recording means with said first image data.
 16. Thecommunication service apparatus according to claim 15 , said apparatusfurther comprising: second recording means for recording informationincluding said second image data of said selling goods to be advertised,wherein said image data superposing means generates said third imagedata by superposing selected said second image data of said sellinggoods recorded in said second recording means with said first imagedata.
 17. The communication service apparatus according to claim 14 ,wherein said connecting means connects said plural communicationterminal apparatus in a state possible to transmit a real-time movingimage data among said communication terminal apparatus.
 18. Thecommunication service method according to claim 14 , wherein: saidsecond image signal from said communication terminal apparatus includesan image of said user of said communication terminal apparatus; and saidimage data superposing means superposes said first image data with saidsecond image data so that said third image data including an image inwhich said user of said communication terminal apparatus puts on theselling goods, uses the selling goods or holds the selling goods isgenerated.
 19. The communication service apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said selling goods included in said third image data arechanged in sequence at every series of the connection, at everyprescribed period of time, in response to a demand from saidcommunication terminal apparatus generates said first image data, or inresponse to a demand from said communication terminal apparatus.
 20. Thecommunication service apparatus according to claim 14 , furthercomprising: third recording means for recording prescribed dataconcerning actual results of superposing processing of said first imagedata with said second image data at every user of said communicationterminal apparatus; and adjusting means for paying consideration to eachuser based on contents recorded in said third recording means.
 21. Thecommunication service apparatus according to claim 16 , furthercomprising: fourth means for recording data for a hobby and a preferenceof said user using said communication terminal apparatus to be deliveredsaid third image data, wherein said image data superposing meansgenerates said third image data by selecting said image data of saidselling goods based on contents recorded in said fourth recording means.22. The communication service apparatus according to claim 14 , whereinsaid transmitting means further transmits information of more detailedinformation of said selling goods or a connecting destination of asystem which proposes an environment for performing transactions of saidselling goods to said communication terminal apparatus that transmittedthe superposed image signal.
 23. A communication terminal apparatusconnected with another communication terminal apparatus mutually througha communication service apparatus, said communication terminal apparatusperforming mutual telephone calling with the other communicationterminal apparatus, said communication terminal apparatus comprising:telephone calling means for performing telephone calling with said othercommunication terminal apparatus; receiving means for receiving a thirdimage data generated by superposing a first image data from said othercommunication terminal apparatus and a second image data concerningarbitrary selling goods and prescribed control data, said third imagedata and said control data being transmitted from the communicationservice apparatus; displaying means for displaying received said thirdimage data; position designating means for designating an arbitraryposition on said displayed third image data; and controlling means forperforming prescribed processing based on received said control datawhen the designated position is on a part of said second image data. 24.The communication terminal apparatus according to claim 23 , whereinsaid controlling means demands more information of said selling goods oran environment concerning performing transactions of said selling goodsrelating to said communication service apparatus when said part of saidsecond image data is designated.
 25. The communication terminalapparatus according to claim 23 , wherein said controlling means demandsmore information of said selling goods or an environment concerningperforming transactions of said selling goods relating to anothercommunication service apparatus when said part of said second image datais designated.
 26. The communication terminal apparatus according toclaim 25 , wherein said receiving means receives information of areplying result to said demand transmitted from the other communicationservice apparatus concerning related to said selling goods; and saiddisplaying means displays the information of received said replyingresult.
 27. The communication terminal apparatus according to claim 26 ,wherein, a processing concerning said information from said othercommunication service apparatus in said receiving means and saiddisplaying means is done practically at the same time when a processingconcerning the other communication terminal apparatus connected throughsaid communication service apparatus is performed.
 28. A communicationsystem including a plurality of communication terminal apparatus and acommunication service apparatus for connecting said plural communicationterminal apparatus possible to transmit an audio and an image signals,wherein said communication service apparatus comprises: receiving meansfor receiving a first image signal originated from one of said connectedcommunication terminal apparatus; image signal superposing means forsuperposing received said first image signal with a second image signalconcerning arbitrary selling goods to generate a third image signal; andtransmitting means for transmitting said third image signal to anotherof said connected communication terminal apparatus; and saidcommunication terminal apparatus comprises: receiving means forreceiving said third image data originated by another of saidcommunication terminal apparatus and transmitted from said communicationservice apparatus; and displaying means for displaying received thirdimage data.
 29. An advertisement propagandizing method in acommunication environment in which a plurality of communication terminalapparatus are connected in a state that an audio and an image signalscan be transmitted, said advertisement propagandizing method comprisingthe steps of: selecting selling goods as a desired advertisementpropaganda object by an user of said communication terminal apparatus;superposing a first image signal originated by said communicationterminal apparatus concerning the user with a second image signal ofsaid selected selling goods as said advertisement propaganda object togenerate a third image signal; and delivering said third image signalincluding said second image signal to another communication terminalapparatus.
 30. The advertisement propagandizing method according toclaim 29 , wherein said first image signal originated from saidcommunication terminal apparatus includes an image of said user of saidcommunication terminal apparatus.
 31. The advertisement propagandizingmethod according to claim 30 , wherein: said first image signaloriginated from said communication terminal apparatus is superposed withsaid second image signal of the selling goods so that said third imagedata including an image in which said user of said communicationterminal apparatus puts on the selling goods, uses the selling goods orholds the selling goods is generated.
 32. The advertisementpropagandizing method according to claim 29 , wherein: more detailedinformation of said selling goods or a transaction environment of theselling goods is supplied to said communication terminal apparatus towhich said third image signal is delivered in response to a demand fromsaid communication terminal apparatus.
 33. The advertisementpropagandizing method according to claim 29 , wherein: consideration ispaid to an user of said communication terminal apparatus to which saidthird image signal is delivered based on a prescribed conditionconcerning the delivery of said third image signal of the selling goods.34. The advertisement propagandizing method according to claim 29 ,wherein: said third image signal including an image of said sellinggoods are selectively delivered to said communication terminal apparatusdepending on the user thereof.